


Running (Away and Back Home)

by 100SleeplessNights



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Multi, POV Kevin Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-15
Updated: 2020-08-15
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:14:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25915684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/100SleeplessNights/pseuds/100SleeplessNights
Summary: Neil needs to run. Kevin intercepts him and runs with him.
Relationships: Kevin Day/Andrew Minyard, Kevin Day/Neil Josten, Kevin Day/Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard, Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard
Comments: 2
Kudos: 107





	Running (Away and Back Home)

“Where are you going?”

Kevin had just come back to Fox Tower after his last class of the day and had almost ran straight into Neil who was just coming out of their dorm room with his duffle bag thrown over his shoulder and a haunted look in his eyes.

“Away. I need to run.”

Kevin knew trying to convince Neil he was safe and wasn’t putting the Foxes in danger was futile, so he said, “I’ll run with you.”

Neil pulled back. Surprise was written all over his face. “What?”

“I’ll run with you,” Kevin repeated in French and slowly reached out to Neil. When Neil didn’t move away, Kevin took his free hand.

“Kevin,” Neil said, the calm in his voice sounding forced. “Let me go.”

Kevin let go of Neil’s hand again but didn’t move otherwise.

“You’re not alone, Neil. And you don’t need to run anymore. But if you feel like you have to, I’ll run with you.”

Neil just looked at Kevin for long seconds but to Kevin it felt like he was staring directly into his soul to see his intentions. Then he sighed.

“Come on, then.”

Together they went back downstairs, Kevin holding on to Neil’s sleeve so he wouldn’t run alone after all. When they came to the parking lot Neil hesitated for a few seconds but then went towards the Maserati and unlocked it. As Neil threw his duffle onto the back seat, Kevin sat down in the passenger seat, still not convinced Neil wouldn’t leave without him if given half a chance. Neil let himself fall into the driver’s seat just a few seconds later and started the car almost before he had fastened his seatbelt.

They had been driving for almost half an hour when Kevin’s phone rang. It was Andrew.

“Kevin,” Andrew snapped when Kevin picked up. “Where the fuck are you?”

“Half an hour from Palmetto,” Kevin said and cursed himself. He should’ve sent Andrew a message to let him know they were safe, but he had been too focused on Neil to even think about anything else. “Neil needed to run, and I caught him before he could leave.”

Kevin only heard Andrew’s harsh breathing for a few seconds. “Will you be back tonight?” he finally asked.

Kevin repeated his question to Neil.

Neil shrugged as much as he could with his shoulders as tense as they were. “Ask again in an hour,” Neil said, sounding like he had to force every word out.

Kevin nodded and told Andrew Neil’s answer.

“I’ll call then,” Andrew said and ended the call.

Kevin had long since lost track of time when Neil spoke again. “Thank you.”

Kevin reached out and held his hand above Neil’s that was holding the stick shift.

“Yes,” Neil said, so Kevin gently covered Neil’s hand with his own.

“You’re welcome.”

Not even a second later Kevin’s phone started ringing again. Kevin almost laughed when he saw it was Andrew again. It wouldn’t surprise him if he had some kind of telepathic power.

“Put him on speaker,” Neil requested as he changed lanes.

In any other situation Kevin would probably have commented on how attuned to each other Neil and Andrew were but he didn’t know how Neil would react to that at the moment, so he just picked up the call and put it on speaker.

“Kevin,” Andrew said, his voice a bit closer to normal but still way too far from it.

“Andrew. Neil asked to put you on speaker.”

Neil swallowed audibly and then said, “Andrew.” He sounded almost desperate.

Kevin couldn’t see him but, somehow, he knew Andrew relaxed the tiniest bit when he heard Neil’s voice.

“Neil. Why did you run?”

Right to the heart of the matter. Kevin was surprised even though he knew he shouldn’t be.

“I… I saw someone who looked like Lola. And… it reminded me that there are still people out there who are loyal to my father and only to my father. His death probably only made their resolve to make me pay for my actions harden.”

Andrew was silent for a long time and if it hadn’t been for his calm breathing Kevin would have thought he had hung up.

“Have you told Moriyama? If he’s as much of a businessman as he seems to be, he should be interested in keeping his investments safe,” he finally said.

“I- no. I felt like he would either take it too seriously and have me followed every minute of every day or not seriously at all,” Neil explained.

“So, you decided running was your best option,” Andrew deadpanned. He clearly disagreed.

“I didn’t want any of you to get caught in the crossfire or used against me if they found me.”

“Martyr,” Andrew muttered. “Do you think I would allow that to happen?”

Neil flexed his left hand that was lying on the steering wheel before he answered. “No but… What if you can’t stop it from happening? What if they-” The rest of the sentence got stuck in Neil’s throat, but Kevin could take a good guess at what he was trying to say. _What if they do what Riko did? What if they use your trauma against you?_

Andrew swallowed audibly. “I’m not the only one who would protect you.”

“I know, but…” Neil swallowed hard. “I don’t want you to get hurt in the first place.”

“What makes you think they wouldn’t hurt me if you ran away?”

Neil sighed. “I didn’t think. I just reacted the way I was raised to react.”

“Obviously,” Andrew said. Kevin could almost hear him roll his eyes. “Can you think more rationally now?”

“…Yes.”

“And do you still think running away was the best option?”

“No.”

“Are you ready to come back?”

Neil shifted in his seat and took a deep breath before he said, “Yes.”

“Good. See you soon.” Before either of them could reply, Andrew had hung up.

Neil took the next exit from the highway and then got right back onto it in the opposite direction.

“Let’s go back home,” he announced.

Kevin squeezed his hand lightly. The smile Neil shot him in return looked almost calm.

They were just a few minutes from Palmetto when Neil instead of going left towards the university, turned right. Kevin was already worried Neil would drive away from Palmetto again but then they stopped at a grocery store.

“What are we doing here?” Kevin asked when Neil was already halfway out of the car.

Neil rolled his eyes like the answer should be obvious. “Getting Andrew ice cream.”

As much as Kevin didn’t like it, Neil’s eyeroll had been warranted. He got out of the car and followed Neil into the store.

Ten minutes later they stepped out of the grocery store again, their hands full not only with several pints of Andrew’s favourite ice cream but also yoghurt and a bunch of fruit for them to snack on.

The last few minutes of their drive flew by like nothing, but Kevin still let out a relieved sigh when Neil parked the car at Fox Tower. They hurried up the stairs to the third floor. Once they reached the door to their dorm Neil moved all the groceries he was carrying to one hand and rummaged for his key with the other. Neil had barely opened the door when Andrew was upon him, asking, “Yes or no?”

“Yes,” Neil said softly and his whole body slumped as the tension he’d still held completely bled out.

Andrew grabbed the sides of Neil’s hoodie, his hands trembling. “Send me a message next time.”

Neil swallowed audibly. “I will. I didn’t mean to worry you, I just… I needed to get away.”

Andrew let his head fall onto Neil’s chest and tightened his hold on Neil’s hoodie. “I know.” Neither of them moved for long seconds, reassuring themselves and each other that nothing bad had happened. Then Andrew pulled away from Neil oh-so-slowly and took a step back from him before his gaze landed on Kevin. He gestured for him to come into the dorm and when Kevin had closed the door behind himself, Andrew was right in front of him while Neil had made his way to the kitchenette.

“Yes or no?” Andrew asked again.

“Yes.” Kevin didn’t even have to think about it.

Andrew wrapped a hand around the back of Kevin’s neck and gently pulled him down until their foreheads were touching and he could look straight into Kevin’s eyes.

“Thank you,” Andrew said. The words sounded a little strange coming from his mouth but that only made Kevin treasure them even more. _You’re welcome_ felt like much too weak a sentiment to give in return.

“As you said, you’re not the only one who would protect Neil, even from himself,” he said instead.

Andrew’s gaze softened the slightest bit, but he didn’t say anything. When he pulled away again it was slowly, his fingers sliding over Kevin’s shoulder and arm before he let his arm drop to his side and Kevin straightened again.

Andrew turned around and walked towards the beanbag chairs where Neil was already waiting for them with their snacks spread out around him. Without any preamble he fell into the one to the right of Neil, looking beyond exhausted. Neil handed him a pint of ice cream and a spoon.

Andrew raised an eyebrow. “A peace offering?” he mocked but took the tub and immediately started warming it between his hands.

Neil shrugged. “Comfort food. I thought we could all use that right now.”

When Andrew didn’t deny it, a small but satisfied smile spread on Neil’s face.

Kevin smiled too. After the tension filled afternoon, he couldn’t be happier to be where he was now. He let himself fall into the beanbag chair on Neil’s other side and happily accepted the bowl of yoghurt and strawberries Neil handed him.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments keep me motivated.
> 
> Find me on Tumblr: [@fall-down-the-foxhole](https://fall-down-the-foxhole.tumblr.com/)


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